Shillong, Aug 26: There was strong reaction today to the state government’s plan to pay the salaries of staff of three Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) of Meghalaya.
Tura MDC Bernard N Marak, speaking on behalf of protesting employees and opposition MDCs, said that the proposal does not solve the immediate problem of the Garo Hills ADC workers, who are owed nearly 44 months’ worth of wages.
The Chief Minister yesterday announced that the state plans on taking on the responsibility of paying ADC staff salaries from November. Bernard, however, said that this will not help the GHADC staff who are owed their past salaries not future ones.
The Hynñiewtrep Youths Council (HYC), meanwhile, stated that the government’s move appears to be a political tactic as GHADC elections are due next year.
HYC leader Roy Kupar Synrem said that the ADCs have powers to levy taxes, receive shares from taxes on minerals, transport and professional taxes and should utilise these resources to pay their staff.
He expressed concern that such financial bailouts would erode the powers and functions of autonomous bodies, as they would have to account for all the money received from the state government. Synrem also suggested that ADCs should limit their expenditure and recruitment according to their earnings to avoid government bailouts.
The Khun Hynñiewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) was also wary of the proposed arrangement, questioning how the state would accommodate the extra expense and whether it would lead to a state takeover of employment and promotion procedures.
